Apologies for the intermittent posting on the site. PB will be on semi-vacation until Monday, November 5. We will update the site, but not as frequently as our loyal readers are used to. Thanks for the patience…

• It’s happening. The Democratic presidential race is becoming as much of an important and vital issue as the ongoing war in Iraq. In fact, as WaPo’s Dan Balz points out, “Iran has become the new Iraq.”  The tension and importance of the Iranian question is ratcheting up as the Bush administration prepares to implement more sanctions and with even the British talking tough about the Mullahs. The Republicans have chatted up the topic of Iran - and how quickly they would bomb the country - almost non-stop on the trail. But it’s a bigger issue for the Dems. Hillary’s biggest problem has suddenly changed from her old pro-war vote on Iraq to her very recent and very public vote to list the Iranian army as a terrorist group that is okay to “engage” in order to protect U.S. interest/soldiers in Iraq and elsewhere. Look for her rivals to press even more as HRC looks as invincible as ever.

• Huckabee’s poor performance at the recent GOP debate in Florida aside,Iowa Republicans are preparing themselves to ditch the well-known frontrunners like Romney and Thompson to go with Pastor Mike, a grass roots candidate that is looking more and more like he can challenge in the caucuses despite no cash and a skeleton campaign. Buzz is everywhere that new Iowa polls set to come out will have Huckabee over 20% and very close to Mitt,. Very little traction anywhere else begs the question: Can Huck really make a big enough splash in Iowa to generate success beyond the Hawkeye State? A coordinated push from evangelical leaders would help. PB listened in on a recent conference call with MH where he expressed his frustration with the lack of support from the religious right in no uncertain terms…

• A fresh New Hampshire poll has results for both races. The Democratic contest is a virtual lock, with Hillary very much in control over a stalled Obama and a distant Edwards. HRC’s at 42% to Obama’s 22%. The GOP race is once again Romney’s to lose. The ex-Mass. guv is in front of Giuliani by a 10-point margin. It’s close enough that another month might bring changes.

• Laugher: Anything to jab the frontrunner, right? Romney takes a shot at Giuliani for the former NYC mayor’s pledge to actually root for “The Sawx” now that BOS is in the WS and the Yankees are done.
  • Right off the bat at a health-care forum here, Romney took a clear swipe at Giuliani’srecent comment that he would be rooting for the Red Sox because he always supports the American League. Romney asked, “Anyone here a Red Sox fan?” And after the cheers he asked if they were also Yankees fans. To laughter he said, “You’re one or the other, but probably not both, right?”